Bound by the Dark Prince

The chamber trembled as Kael's power surged through the air. Shadows stretched and twisted, wrapping around Evelyn like unseen hands. Her breath hitched as an overwhelming force pulled at her very soul.

"Stay still," Kael instructed, his voice calm but firm. "Let it come to you."

Evelyn clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as the whispers in her mind grew deafening. At first, they were unintelligible—murmurs overlapping like a thousand voices speaking at once. But then, as if something inside her shifted, the words became clear.

We have waited. You must remember.

A sharp pain lanced through Evelyn's skull, and suddenly, she was no longer in the chamber. She stood in a vast, burning field. The sky was streaked with blood-red clouds, and figures moved in the distance—warriors clad in black armor, their eyes glowing with eerie light. A war was unfolding before her eyes.

She turned sharply as a familiar voice called her name.

"Evelyn!"

Her breath caught as she saw a man standing amidst the chaos. He had dark hair, piercing eyes, and an aura of undeniable power. His face… she knew that face. But she couldn't remember how.

"Who… who are you?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the battle raging around her.

The man's expression was filled with something between sorrow and urgency. "You must wake up."

Before she could ask more, a wave of darkness surged toward her. It swallowed the battlefield, the warriors, and the man with the familiar eyes. Evelyn gasped as the force pulled her back, yanking her away from the vision.

Her eyes flew open. She was back in the chamber, Kael standing before her, watching her intently.

"What… what was that?" she panted, her heart racing.

Kael's jaw tightened. "A memory."

Evelyn shook her head. "But I don't remember it. I knew him. I felt something."

Kael stepped closer, his crimson eyes searching hers. "The past does not reveal itself all at once. It comes in fragments. But now you understand—your power is tied to something far greater than you ever imagined."

Evelyn swallowed hard. The vision still burned in her mind, but more than anything, she felt the weight of an unfinished story. Her story.

She looked up at Kael. "I need to see more."

Kael studied her for a moment before nodding. "Then you must be willing to go deeper."

Evelyn took a steadying breath. "I am."

Kael's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Then the real journey begins now."

The candles in the chamber flickered violently, and the whispers in her mind surged again, louder, stronger. And for the first time, Evelyn didn't try to silence them.

She listened.